On board of a ship from World War II

Cartagena has a privileged position in the Caribbean basin, being considered one of the most important and safe port cities in the world. For this reason, it is frequent the arrival of cruise ships that bring with them hundreds or thousands of tourists anxious to know “La Heroica” and its surprising history.

However, for being such a popular port, Cartagena welcomes different types of ships, among those, military ones like the United States Coast Guard Cutter Eagle (USCGC Eagle), a fascinating sail boat in charge of the US Coast Guard, where their cadets take a six-week training traveling on the high seas and visiting different ports in the world.

For two days, the USCGC Eagle remained moored at the Manga Tourist Wharf, open to the public and offering a free tour inside the boat. Warships and strong fortifications are two of the elements that portraits the colonial times of Cartagena de Indias. So, I got on the boat when de Cartagena’s sun was still shining, eager to know a little bit of its history and the experiences of the crew.

I was received by the cadets Roth and Bertulaitis, both uniformed and with a great smile. They would be the guides of this adventure, who would illustrate us about the history of the ship and the work of the Coast Guard. Next to me were two more people. A girl from the interior of Colombia and a Brazilian visitor. The tour began: The cadets showed us the kitchen, the dining room, and the resting zones on the ship; then we went up to the prow, from where you could see the huge sails of the boat that were collected. Our guides told us about the hard work involved in hoisting and collecting the sails but learning to do so is fundamental to their training.

The wind messed with my hair while we were taking pictures of the boat and the beautiful view of Manga’s Bay that could be seen in that place. The guides told us about the ship’s origins and how it was built in Germany in 1936, with the name of “Horst Wessel”, and its main objective was to train German sailors; in addition, during WWII it was equipped with anti-aircraft weapons. However, when the War was over, it was delivered as reparation to the United States of America. I could see that other people were arriving and were immediately sponsored by other cadets, who made the exciting tour within this huge sailboat that was present in WWII, a historic ship worth knowing and admiring.

While we were doing the tour, the cadets told us that Cartagena was one of the most beautiful places they had visited, and they shared with us that they would be willing to return to visit the Historical Center and learn more about this wonderful city. And it is that “La Heroica” or “La Fantástica”, as they have also started to call it recently, never ceases to surprise its visitors with its unmatchable beauty. A city of calm waters and a perfect contrast between the old colonial architecture and the modern buildings.

Later, we went to the stern of the boat where we could salute the captain and get to know how this ship, with capacity to transport over 200 people, was directed. The big wooden rudders, with an impeccable look and without signs of havoc by the sea, stole my attention and I never imagine they could be of that size. The cadets learn to keep the sailboat out of danger, and to repair any damage that may arise: But they also study astronomical navigation, even though the USCGC Eagle has electric and magnetic compasses and a GPS system to guide them.

40 minutes later the tour was over. I did not want to leave, I wanted to stay in there, enjoying the gorgeous view to the bay and the fresh breeze. However, I had to keep on with my itinerary and so did the USCGC Eagle. Before arriving in Cartagena, it had been in Puerto Rico, and its next destination was Curaçao. But they would not go before having a pleasant reception with Colombian military leaders and cadets.

I said goodbye to our friendly guides; they corresponded me with a handshake and walked us back to the pier. I would definitely recommend, to anyone who ask me, getting to know this historical sailboat. Once below, I saw the figurehead with the golden eagle in the prow that perfectly represents its name. Fascinating, I thought, as I turned my back and walked away from the boat.